Inspection window for a sand blasting enclosure



Oct. 7, 1969 J. L. HIRONS 3, 7

INSPECTION WINDOW FOR A SAND BLASTING ENCLOSURE Filed Oct.- 30. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m I. n

INVENTOR. JOHN L. HIRONS Attorneys Oct. 7,1969 v v J. 1.. HIRONS 3, 70,65

INSPECTION WINDOW FOR A SAND BLASTING ENCLOSURE Filed Oct. 30, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmmm FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

JOHN L. HIRONS Attorneys Oct. 7, 1969 I L. maous msrmcmou wmoow FOR A sum auxswme ENCLOSURE Filed Oct 30, 19s? 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. JOHN L. HIRONS Attorneys United States Patent 3,470,654 INSPECTION WINDOW FOR A SAND BLASTING ENCLOSURE John L. Hirons, Hirons Memorial Works, U.S. 68, Mount Orab, Ohio 45154 Filed Oct. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 678,958 Int. Cl. B24c 3/00 US. Cl. 51--8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An inspection window for a sand blasting enclosure having spring pressed rollers which run on tracks and can move away from the tracks sufliciently to pass grit on the tracks.

This invention relates to sand blasting machines. More particularly, this invention relates to an inspection window for a sand blasting machine.

An object of this invention is to provide an inspection window for a sand blasting assembly which can readily be opened for access to the interior thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide such an inspection window which is supported by rollers which roll along tracks adjacent opposite sides of an opening in a wall of a sand blasting assembly.

Briefly, this invention provides an inspection window which travels on parallel tracks mounted adjacent opposite edges of an opening in a wall of a sand blasting chamber. At least one of the rollers is spring pressed into engagement with one of the rails so that, if grit is caught on one of the tracks, the wheels can pass over such grit. Edges of the opening can overlie the frame of the window when in closed position to protect the frame from flying grit in the chamber. The central portion of the window can be covered with appropriate screening or the like which retains the flying grit in the chamber while permitting observation of the interior of the chamber.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic perspective view showing the interior of a sand blasting chamber;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of a wall of the chamber showing an inspection window mounted thereon, parts being broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 66 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective View of a corner brace for a window section.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIG. 1 is shown a sand blasting chamber 10 having walls 12 and 13 and other walls (not shown) which form an enclosed chamber. A conveyor 14, only a portion of which is shown, mounted in the chamber 10 supports a block of stone 16. A sand blasting head 17 is moved back and forth across a face of the block to sand blast the face of the block. The head 17 can be controlled by mechanism (not shown) of the type shown in my Patent No. 3,104,499.

A rectangular inspection opening 19 is provided in the wall 12. The opening 19 can be closed by upper 3,470,654 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 and lower window sections 21 and 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper window section 21 includes cross frames 23 and 24 and upright frames 26 and 27. Angle shaped corner pieces 27 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) are mounted inside the frames at the corners and are attached to the frames by screw fasteners 27", received in openings 27" of the corner pieces to join the frames together to form a substantially rectangular framework. Rollers 28 and 29 (FIGS. 2 and 5) are rotatably mounted on the upright frame 27 and run on a track 30. Spring pressed rollers 31 and 32 (FIGS. 2 and 3) mounted on the framework run on a track 33. The tracks 30 and 33 are parallel and are mounted on the wall 12 on opposite sides of the opening 19. In a similar manner, the lower window section 22 (:FIG. 2) includes lengthwise frames 34 and 36 and upright frames 38 and 39. Rollers 41 and 42 rotatably mounted on the upright frame 39 run on the track 30. Spring pressed rollers 43 and 45 mounted on the frame- Work of the lower window section 22 run on the track 33.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the spring pressed rollers is mounted on an angle-shaped frame 44. Details of construction of the mounting of the spring pressed roller 31 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mountings of the other spring pressed rollers being similar. The frame 44 is pivotally mounted on a pin 46 (FIG. 3) which is carried by the upright frame 26. A compression spring 47 mounted on the pivot pin 46 urges the angle frame 44 into flatwise face-to-face engagement with a face 48 of the frame member 26. A nut 49 threaded on the pivot pin 46 holds the compression spring 47 in position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the roller 31 is journalled on a journal ring 52, which is mounted on a pin 53 carried by the angle frame 44. An appropriate nut 54, washers 55 and 56, and a lock washer 57 hold the roller in position on the journal ring 52 and rotatably mounted thereon. The roller can be formed of nylon or the like and is provided with an annular slot or groove 58 which receives the track 33. Flanges 59 and 60 of the roller run on opposite sides of the track 33 and guide the roller on the track.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a flange 61 is formed at the end of the angle frame 44 which is remote from the pivot about which the angle frame swings. The flange '61 has an opening 62 therethrough which receives a bolt 63 (FIG. 4). The bolt 63 also extends through an opening 64 in a flange 66 of an angle-shaped brace 67. The brace 67 is attached to the frame 23 by a bolt 68. Nuts 69 mounted on opposite ends of the bolt 63 hold the bolt in position spanning the flanges 61 and 66. A compression spring 70 mounted on the bolt 63 urges the angle-shaped frame to swing counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 2 to cause the roller 31 to firmly but resiliently engage the track 33. Washers 71 (FIG. 4) at the ends of the spring 70 engage the flanges.

The window sections 21 and 22 (FIG. 2) normally are closed during sand blasting. As shown in FIG. 6, when the window sections are closed, edges of the wall 12 surrounding the opening 19 overlie frames of the section to protect the frames from flying grit. The cross frames and the lengthwise frames are provided with lengthwise slots 71, one of which is shown in FIG. 6. The slots 71' receive edge portions of screening sections 72 which span the lengthwise and cross frames and permit inspection of the interior of the chamber while catching flying grit. Resilient strips 73 received in the slots 71' hold edges of the screening sections.

When the window sections are in closed position, the lengthwise frames 24 and 36 are covered by a resilient strip 74 of rubber or rubber-like material, as shown in FIG. 5. The strip 74 is adhesively attached to the frame 24 and overhangs the frame 36 when the window sections are in closed position to protect the frames 24 and 36 from the grit.

The window sections can be moved apart to permit access to the interior of the chamber, the upper section 21 moving upwardly and the lower section 22 moving downwardly, as shown in FIG. 2. The rail 33 is provided with projections 76, 77 and 78, which are constructed to normally retain the spring-pressed rollers. However, when the sections are open or closed, the spring pressed roller 31 can be moved past the projection 78 and the spring pressed roller 44 can be moved past the projection 77 and the window sections can be held in closed and in open positions.

The illustrated construction provides a closure for the opening 19 in the chamber wall 12 which can be opened for access to the interior of the chamber. Even if grit particles adhere to the rails 33 and 30, the resilent mounting of the rollers 31, 32, 43 and 45 make it possible for the rollers to pass such grit particles without injury.

The inspection window construction illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a sand blasting enclosure having a wall and an inspection opening in said wall, a closure for the opening which comprises tracks on an outer face of said wall on opposite sides of the opening, a framework adapted to overlie said opening, rollers mounted on said framework and running on said tracks, and means resiliently urging at least one of the rollers against the track engaged thereby, the rollers being adapted to override particles of grit on the tracks.

2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein the tracks extend toward each other and at least one of the rollers has an annular slot therein for receiving one of the tracks, there being flanges on said one of the rollers on opposite sides of the slot, the flanges being adapted to guide the roller as the roller overrides particles of grit.

3. A combination as in claim 1 wherein the means for resiliently urging one of the rollers includes a roller frame pivotally mounted on the framework, means for rotatably mounting the roller on the roller frame remote from the pivot thereof, and spring means urging the roller frame toward the track engaged by the roller mounted thereon.

4. A combination as in claim 1 wherein a protuberance on one of the tracks is engageable by one of the rollers to hold the framework in selected position, said one of the rollers being retractable sufiiciently to pass the protuberance.

5. A combination as in claim 1 wherein the framework includes two sections, each section being constructed to cover a portion of the opening, the sections having engaging edge portions, and a strip of resilient material attached to one of said engaging edge portions and adapted to overlie the other engaging edge portion when the sections are in closed position to protect the engaging edge portions from flying grit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,966,571 7/1934 Webb 51-15 2,012,055 8/1935 Ruemelin 51-8 3,104,499 9/1963 Hirons 518 LESTER M. SWINGLE, Primary Examiner 

